28/04/2026
I argued that Afghanistan’s crisis is systemic, not merely humanitarian. It is driven by illegitimacy, repression, economic collapse, displacement, terrorism, and regional fragmentation.
Drawing on my Regional Compact framework, I proposed that Pakistan can best prove its commitment to Afghanistan’s stabilization by initiating collective regional action under a UN-led and SCO-plus-supported conflict-resolution process.
I also stressed that the Taliban themselves constitute the central structural challenge to Afghanistan and regional stability. Under their rule, a multiplicity of crises is deepening -- from forced migration and gender apartheid to the sheltering of terrorist groups, expansion of drug production, support for separatist dynamics, endemic poverty, and a worsening humanitarian emergency.
Unless this dangerous status quo is addressed through a collective regional effort, the entire region will inevitably pay the price for neglecting Afghanistan in its own backyard.
Such a compact should rest on three enforceable principles: 1) noninterference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs; 2) non-use of Afghan territory for terrorism, proxies, or destabilization; and 3) formation of a legitimate and inclusive government in which the Taliban are one side among other Afghan sides representing the country’s pluralistic society.
I emphasized that the compact must be implemented through verification, sequencing, and reciprocity -- not vague pledges. With a legitimate Afghan government in place, the region could cooperate on shared interests, including water, energy, counterterrorism enforcement, disaster-risk reduction, transit trade, and investment.
I also called on the United States, given its legacy in Afghanistan, to support this framework as a win-win-win: a win for long-suffering Afghans, a win for regional stability, and a win for international peace and security.
I made these points during the panel discussion “Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: Conceptualizing a New Mechanism for Regional Security,” hosted by George Washington University and The Andiana Foundation, convened by Dr. Nilofar Sakhi, President and Founder of the Andiana Foundation, and moderated by Annie Pforzheimer, former Acting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan.
Read more in my article: “A Regional Compact for Afghanistan: Why Neighbors Must Act Together to Secure Stability”
https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/a-regional-compact-for-afghanistan-why-neighbors-must-act-together-to-secure-stability/